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  4. How are Runs constructed?

  • How are Runs constructed?

    C
    C
    In light of the Piccolo Runs debate and the portamento/crecendo thread I have a question.

    How are these runs typicaly constructed? Is it a scale playing really fast or whats the theory behind it?

    Educate me [:)]
  • P
    P
    It's not necessarily scales Christian. Give us an example of what you mean, like say, from a piece of well-known music.
  • C
    C
    Umm.. imagen a piece of action music and just as the theme is about to begine a piccolo flute plays a run really really fast, giving a great sense of ugency
  • P
    P
    last edited
    last edited

    @Christian Marcussen said:

    Umm.. imagen a piece of action music and just as the theme is about to begine a piccolo flute plays a run really really fast, giving a great sense of ugency


    OK. Well, I'll try and start this off and then hopefully others will give their thoughts and tips. I imagine you play most of your music into the computer with a keyboard, but sometimes it's impossible to play that fast. So, you work out the notes for the piccolo or whatever instrument first, and enter them via the mouse. I do it sometimes this way, but when I do so, always on the score page of Logic. I like to see the actual notes all the time. Personal preference, thats all. The actual notes are generally 'scale-like' but that could be an aural mirage, simply because of the speed that they play back at you. But I understand what you mean.

    Then you would decide if you want semi-quavers or semi-demi-quavers or a mixture of note lengths etc. depending on the tempo you have set and the effect you are trying to achieve. Having done your instrument runs, you can then overlap some of the notes to give it a 'legato' type feel. Thats trial and error and ears. I don't have the Legato Tool yet, so someone else may explain an easier method using this device. As you practice this, you could build up a sort of library of what you do over time presumably. Not necessarily the sounds, but the midi events. One way to practice this would be from a score that has these type of runs that you require. Punch them in and listen back, and then tweak, transpose, anything you like really. You'll get better and better the more you do it.

    One chap that could really help on this is Craig Sharmat I think his name is. He did something posted here the other day that incorporated impressive fast runs. Ask him directly if this is not helpful and I'm sure he will help. Is this for your Game Project?

    Any of this make sense Christian?

    All the best

    Paul
  • C
    C
    Yep.. makes sense... but what I mean is... what is the musical theory behind these runs... do the start and end on the same note djust an octave higher, should it end on the same note as the melody line about to srat, how many notes do they consist of etc.. tos kind of things.. I know it varries, but i'm sure their is a classical way to do them...

    and yep.. it for the game [:)]
  • D
    D
    Christian,

    That's a very good definition above. The general body of "woodwind rushes" is generally step-wise scale motion. However they may start with wider intervals almost like a jazz riff. John Williams certainly popularized them so give a listen (He actually is doing William Walton: another source score - wise.)

    Try four or eight per beat (or even odd numbers 5, 7, 9.) One trick is to cut the tempo in half and play them in (editing as Paul suggested) then restore the original tempo.

    The Legato Tool works great for this kind of thing as the notes automatically cut off at the next note (which saves tedious editing.)

    I have a piece where I did a couple of measures of that and it (Legato Tool) worked very well.

    Dave Connor
  • P
    P
    Dave,

    Thats it precisely. Christian, I don't think you need to get bogged down on musical theory with this one actually. The type of runs your'e talking about are generally ornamental and don't really influence any melody line apart from the 'urgency' aspect and all that kind of thing.

    They don't need to start on any particular note within a scale, or finish on the same note for example, although obviously they need to be in key or they will sound either dreadful or at best avant-garde.

    You could use them to take you into a different key at the end of a phrase, or you could simply remain in the same key. Whatever you like really. Your imagination could let the instrument runs morph into 'other' instrument runs. For example, piccolo runs are then taken up or mirrored with violin or bassoon runs. High runs followed by low runs in a counterpoint type of way. So many variables its hard to know what to write. It's fun this actually, because I've got all these things going on in my head now. I'm bound to forget them unfortunately.

    Theres no classical way in my view. It's down to your own ears and imagination and if it sounds right, it probably is. Bottom line, use it and abuse it. Don't get bogged down with theory and why not post an MP3 of what you achieve with these runs for feedback. Good luck with your project and I'm sure it will be perfect.

    [H]
  • C
    C
    Thanks... My music will never be perfect... I mean.. what artist regards his work as perfect? (apart from Evan [:D]) [;)]
  • E
    E
    Ha ha he he hoo. Very funny.
    EEE
  • PaulP Paul moved this topic from Orchestration & Composition on